Game piece projector



y 1947- H. P. BOTI 'S GAME PIECE PROJECTOR Filed Jan. 13, 1944 INVENTOR#06 5077'5 ATTORNEY Patented July 15, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-GAME PIECE PROJECTOR Hugh P. Botts, New York, N. Y., assignor of onehalfto Lawrence G. Botts, New York, N. Y.

Application January 13, 1944, Serial No. 518,186

Claims.

This invention relates to game devices. More particularly, the inventionrelates to games composed of collapsibly related members forming abacking and playing field with a game piece ad- J'ustable for executingdifferent plays in the game, and freely movable over the game board.Further, the invention relates to a game adapted to similate'the game ofbasketball, but which may be used for any other purpose. The novelfeatures of the invention will be best understood from the followingdescription when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in whichcertain embodiments of the invention are disclosed, and in which theseparate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in eachof the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a game made according to my invention,showing the same in set-up position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device as shown inFig. 1, the section being taken through the basket and the movable gamepiece.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the movable game piece shown in Figs. 1 and 2,detached.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and also illustrating indot and dash lines difierent positions of the game piece.

Fig. 5 is a plan View showing another form of lever which I employ inprojecting round ball like game pieces.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one form of game piece; and

Fig. 7 is a detail view of another form of game piece.

While my improved game may be constructed of any desired material,depending largely upon the selling price of the resulting game, forpurposes of illustration, I have shown in the accompanying drawing aVery simple and economical method of constructing the game from sheetsand strips of cardboad, fiber board and the like. At this time, it isalso well to point out that all of the cards are collapsibly related, sothat the complete game may be sold in a compact package.

In the construction shown, the game is made up of a board I0, dividedinto two playing field sections II and I2, hingedly coupled, as seen atI3. Hinged to one edge of the field l2, as at M, is a back wall orperpendicular playing surface l5 to the upper edge of which is hinged,as seen at [6 a supplemental back wall member or easel H. The walls l5and I! are coupled by a flexible strap l8, which limits the spread ofthese walls while at the same time, provides flat collapsing 2 of thewalls IT on the walls l5. The various sections I, l2, l5 and I! are allsubstantially of the same size, thus simplifying the construction andalso the packing and shipment thereof.

The playing field formed by the sections I I and I2 will constitute oneend only of a complete field, and if desired, two of these field unitscan be employed in playing a game although one field is all that isnecessary.

The field I has a center marking as at I9 to designate the centerstarting point of playing the game, whereas the field l2 has a foul linemarking 20, from which foul shots, as in the game of basketball, can beplayed. Other suitable markings may be disposed on the fields II and I2for playing various shots in laying out a set of rules for playing agame of basketball or any other game that might be desirable.

The markings on the playing field will govern the location of themovable game piece 2|, or this member might better be termed a gamepiece projector. The projector comprises two narrow strips 22 and 23hingedly coupled at their upper edges, as seen at 24. The strips 22, 23have centrally thereof an opening through the upper edges 25 and 26respectively. The aperture 25 is deeper or longer than the aperture 26,for purposes later described. These apertures may also be termednotches.

An elongated tapered lever 21 is employed in conjunction with theprojector 2|, and constitutes part thereof. The taper on the leverprovides a wide end 28 and a narrower end portion 29. Secured to the endportion 29 is a cross bar 30, preferably notched, as seen at 3|, so thata disc type game piece 32 can be placed on the end portion 29 andcentralized on the bar 30 by the notch 3|.

The game piece 32 may be composed of any suitable material, and on veryeconomical games, it may constitute a colored disc of cardboard or fiberboard. In other cases, it may similate a disc such as used in the gameof Tiddly-Winks, or may be composed of plastic material. A number ofthese discs may be employed in different colors to denote differentteams. Further, discs of one color may have a series of numbers todesignate the difierent players on a team. The same would be true ofball or spherical game pieces, such as indicated at 33 in Fig. '7 of thedrawing, and which are used in conjunction with the pro- J'ector levers34, such as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The primary difierence inthe lever 34 being that the end portion 35 thereof, corresponding to theend portion 29 is enlarged, and

3 has a circular aperture 36 therein, forming a seat for the sphericalmember 33, a part of which is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The endportion 35 also includes a cross bar 31, similar to the cross bar 30 sothat a disc type game piece, such as 32 can also be used in conjunctionwith the lever 34. The end portion 35 also includes a projecting fingerpiece 38, by means of which the lever can be snappedinthe hand operation,thereof, as later described, 3

By reason of the taper provided in the levers 21- 34, the wide endportions of these levers will fit snugly between opposed walls of theapt r 25, whereas the contracted end portion fitting and operating in theaperture .23 will be free to swing or move vertically in this aperture.the frictional engagement between the end portion 28 and the walls ofthe aperture 25 forms a pivot mounting of the lever in connection withthe member or projector 2 I.

In playing the game, the walls 22- 23 are moved toward and from eachother in the manner indicatedin-full and dotand dash lines in Fig 4 ofthe drawing in order to change the distance between the pivot of thelever andtheengagementofthelever with the base of the aperture 25 in thewall 23, and also to change the angu- Iarity of the lever. In this way,the movement of the projectile or game piece 32-33 with respect to abasket 39 will be controlled.

The basket is in the form of a small piecevof cardboard "or othermaterial having a large aperture 40 therein, largeenough to permit freepassage of the projectile 32, 3,3 therethrough. In this connection, theillustrations of the projectile or ?mepiece in 'Fig. 6 or '7 are verymuch enlarged. The basketfifi 'isvhinged to the wall 45, as seen at 4 I,so as to fold 'fiatly thereon. Hinged to the sides of the basket '39 aretriangular braces orsupports 42 so fashioned as to support the basketinhorizontalposition in the slightly inclined support of the wall [l5and also foldable flatly uponthe wall [5 together with the basket 3,9.If desired, meanscan be employed to retain the braces or supports. indefinite position on the .wal l5- It will here be understood that theuse of the basketis to. demonstrate one adaptation and use of theinvention. A number of these devices could be employed on theback wall,and couldbe given different values, or the back wall may be.characterizedih any desired manner for the reception of the projectedgame pieces. I-Iere also it will be under'stood that the shape and formof the game pieces may be modifiedv to suit the, particue lar gamebeingplayed.

In playing the game, themember or projector 2| is freely movable by handover the playing field into different positions The two wall parts 22-13will be supported between the fingers of one hand and adjusted to thedesired inclinations to each other, after which the garnepiece orprojectile is-arranged on the, end 29 of the lever, and thi-slever is-depressed by the other hand to the degree required to throw oradvance-thegame piece in theidirection of the board orwall 15, to eitherpass through the basket. opening. 40, or to accomplish any other desiredresultsin playing thegame. e

1 in constructing a very large field, the advancement of the'projectilesimply constitutes a. positioning of the member 2| .in making the nextmove; ingfield may have markings thereon designatiug whatplayer orteamwould make the next Thus In this respect, thegame board .or playv iula 51 03 shot, by reason of the location of the game piece on thatparticular section of the field. This would particularly be the casewith the disc type projectile or game piece as shown at 32. However, inusing the ball type projectors, suitable sockets could be provided inthe playing field for retarding the movement of the ball.

It will be understood that the lever 21-34 is readily detachable fromthemember 2!, particularly in the packing and shipment of the game.Further, levers of different lengths can be employed with one game inorder to produce different playing shots, and the player may choose thelever of the desired size in performing any par- On the other hand, anumber of members -21 could be employed with the levers attachedthereto.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as'new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A game piece projector comprising two relatively movable parts, saidparts having registerin; apertures, the aperture of one part beinglonger than the aperture in the other part, a taperedlever arranged inthe apertures to said parts, the flared .end of the lever having africtional engagement with the opposed walls of the aperture in thefirst mentioned part, the lever being freely movable in the shorteraperture of the second part and projecting therefrom to form anoperating end, and means on said operating end for supporting a gamepiece thereon] 2. Agame piece projector comprising two relativelymovable parts, said parts having registering apertures, the apertureofone .part being longer than the aperture in the other part, a taperedlever arranged in the apertures'to said parts, the flared end of thelever having a frictional engagement with the opposed walls of vtheaperture in the first mentioned part, the lever being freely movable inthe shorter aperture of the second part andprojecting therefrom to forman operating end, means on said operating end for supporting a gamepiece thereon, and said last named means comprising a socket.

3. A ame piece projector comprisin two relatively movable parts, fsaidparts having registerihg apertures, the aperture 'of one part beinglonger than. the aperture in the other part a tapered lever arranged inthe apertures "to said parts, the flared end of the lever having africtional engagement with the opposed walls of the aperture in thefirst mentioned part,, the lever being freely movable in the shorteraperture of the second part and projecting therefrom to form anoperating end, means on said operating end for supporting a game piecethereon, and said last named means comprising a socket and a notchedcross bar.

4. A game piece projector comprisin two relatively movable parts, saidparts having registering apertures, theaperture of one part being longerthanthe aperture in the other part, a tapered .lever arranged intheapertures to said parts, the flared end of the lever having a frictionalengagement with the opposed walls of the aperture in the first mentionedpart, the lever being freely movable inthe shorter aperture of thesecond part and projecting therefrom to form an operating end, means onsaid operating end for supporting a game piece thereon, and said last aed ea compr sin a n h Cross bar.

6 j'ector comprising two substantially similar hingedly coupled partsmovable into different an- REFERENCES CITED gular positions with respectto each other, 1- The following references are of record in the jacentportions of said. parts having registering file of this patent: openingsa lever arranged in said openings and 5 Pm having a pivotal engagementwith one part and UNIM'D STATES ATENTS a variable bearing on the otherpart depending Number Name Date upon relative adjustment of the parts inchang- 460,717 Fisk Oct. 6, 1891 ing angular position of the lever withrespect to 2,114,777 Englerth Apr. 19, 1938 said parts, and means on thefree end portion of 10 2,203,990 Heymer June 11, 1940 the lever forsupporting a game piece thereon. 1,563,908 Krause Dec. 1, 1925 HUGH P.BOTTS.

